How to Cut Firewood

For many homeowners, firewood is more practical than oil and natural gas. After all, this doesn't undergo drastic changes in price. Second, the living areas have a lot of firewood available. Third, modern furnaces have improved in terms of heat efficiency.

Before you get to burn firewood, however, you need to gather it. In addition, you must cut it into appropriate portions. Here, we’ll discuss how to cut firewood.

Get the Right Chainsaw

First, you need to have a chainsaw, which is a much better tool than just a mere ax. With an ax, you would need to train yourself to hit the right spot with every hit, and it can take its toll on you in no time. With a chainsaw, you can cut firewood without solely relying on your physical strength.

A chainsaw can be pretty heavy, but you have two options: an electric chainsaw or a gas chainsaw. The former is light and good enough for cutting down small-sized wood. There are cordless variants, but you can also use a corded electric chainsaw if you don’t mind the limited range. If you want a stronger chainsaw with no range limitation, you should get a gas chainsaw.

If you won’t be cutting a lot of firewood throughout the year, you don’t have to splurge on a bunky guy. Choose an affordable chainsaw model with a cutting bar long enough for cutting firewood. Typically, a chainsaw with a 16-inch bar is light yet powerful enough for this activity.

Acquire Additional Tools

When using a chainsaw, you need to have protective clothing. Aside from safety goggles to keep your eyes safe from splinters, steel-toed work boots are also necessary. A running chainsaw can also land on your legs, so safety chaps will give you enough time to save yourself. Also, you must wear ear protection since operating chainsaws can get quite loud.

Apart from the safety clothing, you can also have iron wedges and a sledgehammer. Chainsaws can cut down the wood, but these tools can split the wood into smaller pieces. You use the sledgehammer to drive the iron wedges into the wood and cut them in half.

Likewise, you must have plastic wedges to keep your chainsaw from getting stuck in the wood. Simply put them in the partially cut wood to prevent the wood from closing down on the running chainsaw. If you have a lot of wood that needs to be split into smaller portions, you can buy an automatic wood-splitter. However, take note that this hydraulic cylinder isn’t cheap. If you really need it, you can rent one from a local store.

Know the Stance and Cutting Pattern

Before you begin to cut firewood with a chainsaw, you must know the right stance. Ideally, you should position yourself in a way that will reinforce your upper body while preventing fatigue. To do this, you must keep your feet apart. They should be separated by a bit more than your shoulder length. Ensure that there are no pieces of debris or holes that could ruin your stance if you take a step.

Now, we’ll discuss the correct cutting method. In general, you simply cut firewood by going up and then down. Firewood should be cut by putting the chainsaw just above it and cutting down. A log can be cut into many pieces – and those pieces of wood can still be split into smaller portions.

Sometimes, the chainsaw can get stuck as it cuts from the top downwards due to the increasing tension experienced by the log or branch. In these occasions, you can just continue the cutting operation by doing it upwards instead of downwards.

Here are some tips on cutting firewood using a chainsaw:

Identify the Cutting Order

A tree has many parts that are all suitable for turning into firewood. If you have a fallen tree, you should first cut down the branches that are not big enough to be used as firewood. Put the chainsaw at the base section of the branches and slowly but firmly cut them apart from the limb or log.

Now, you must pay attention to the bigger branches that keep the tree trunk stable. Instead of cutting these down immediately, you can let them stay while you are still cutting the upper sections of the trunk.

Once you reach the center of the trunk that has a thick diameter, you can cut down the aforementioned branches. You should still saw the wood in an upward or downward manner, but you must first make angled cuts. Specifically, you must saw the two sides of the trunk at an angle of 45 degrees. Only after this should you cut downward or upward.

Overall, cutting firewood means having to use several tools: a chainsaw, iron wedges, a sledgehammer, and plastic wedges. In addition, you need to have protective clothing and know the right stance and cutting technique.We hope that you learned from our firewood cutting guide. If you have any questions, do give us a comment.

I'm Ann, I have dedicated most of my life in gardening. This is a subject I enjoy the most. Since then, I committed to developing my website to be the best guidance when it comes to taking care of flowers and plants. I am trying my best to be well-versed with plants found in desert areas, tropics or Mediterranean. I still need to be knowledgeable about so many kinds of botanical life.

SumoGardener.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Additionally, SumoGardener.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links.